Turbine.



B. ANDERSON. TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

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TUBBINB. Y

1,024,1 1 1 G 2' 191' Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

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' L l l 1 f r Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

E.4 ANDERSON.

TURBINB. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 19.10.

2 COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH w.,WAS}|xNaTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL ANDERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO I-I. STANLEY TODD, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

TURBINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EMIL ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a reside-nt of New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbine or Impact Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to turbine or rotary impact engines, and particularly to compound engines of this character wherein, in addition to the motive fiuid'being employed in successive stages, it is admitted at high pressure at a plurality of points simultaneously.

The main object of my invention is to effect economy in operation and this object I attain by first, increasing the eiiiciency of the engine; second, reducing the waste due to leakage.

In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I will now proceed to describe an embodiment thereof, having reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating` the same, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a View in central longitudinal section through an engine construct-ed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a viewV in transverse vertical section, the plane thereof being substantially upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are partial face views and views partly in section of the three inlet heads. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are sectional views through the impelling wheel and the stationary abutments which are formed as part of the heads shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the planes of the sections 6, 7, and 8 being substantially parallel respectively with the face views in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. Fig. 9 is a detail view inv side elevation of a portion of one of the low pressure elements of the impelling wheel. Figs. l0 and 11 are transverse sectional views through the buckets of the impelling wheel and the stationary abutments through which motive fluid is admitted thereto, the views being provided for the purpose of showing, in somewhat diagrammatic form, the action of the motive fluid as it is admitted to the buckets.

In general, the engine comprises a suitable casing composed of a body portion 2O and end heads 2l, and a rotaryimpelling wheel 22 mounted therein. The casing is provided with a cylindrical bore 23 and three recesses 24 extending outwardly therefrom in a radial direction and substantially equidistantly disposed around the engine. The end heads 2l are provided with suitable bearings 25 for supporting the shaft 26 of the impelling wheel. The impelling wheel 22 comprises a hub 27, a plurality of rotary rings 28, .2Q- 29, 30-30, and 31`31 secured to rotate therewith, and heads 32 which, by their abutting engagement with the rings and their screw-threaded engagement with the hub, secure the several parts together. The several rings of the impelling wheels are provided near their peripheries with lateral depressions 33 constituting buckets for receiving the motive fluid, the walls of the recesses constituting impact surfaces against which the mot-ive fluid acts to impart its energy to the motor.

Located within the recesses 24-24 are three heads designated by the reference characters 34-35-36 respectively. Each of these heads includes a plurality of stationary plates 37 having portions which extend inwardly within the bore of the casing and between the several rotary rings 28-,29- 30-3l. The inwardly extending portions of these plates constitute stationary abutments as will presently be shown which serve, first, as a means through which motive fluid is admitted to the buckets; and second, as re-action elements for the motive fluid. The central pair of plates 37 of each of the heads 34-35-36 combine with the buckets of the central ring 28 and t-he inner or adjacent buckets of the two rings 29 to constitute a plurality of high pressure stages in the engine, one for each of the said heads, while the two pairs of outer plates 37 of the heads 34 and 35 combine with the buckets upon both sides of the rings 30, the outer buckets of both of the rings 29 and the buckets of both of the rings 3l (the rings 3l having buckets upon one side only thereof) to constitute two low pressure stages in the engine. As will presently be shown there is no low pressure stage adjacent the head 36, the outer pairs of plates 37a and 37b therein being shorter and employed merely for the purpose of obstructing the passage of motive fluid at this point.

All of the blades eXcept the plates 37a and 37b just referred to have transverse oblique openings 38 therethrough near their front ends and lateral recesses 39 just in advance of these openings. The forward extremities of the blades are moreover pointedas at 40, Figs. l() and 11.

Each of the heads 34-35-36 is provided with high pressure inlets 4l which communicate with tangential nozzles 42 through which motive luid is directed at an angle to the periphery of the ring 29, at a point in line with the ends of the buckets 33 therein. These nozzles are conveniently controlled by means of throttle valves in the form of rotatable plugs 43.

In addition to the high pressure nozzles 42 in each of the heads 34-35-36 the head 34 is provided with two low pressure nozzles 44 transversely in line with the high pressure nozzle 42, as appears more clearly in Fig. 3, while the head 35 is provided with low pressure nozzles 45-45 to the rear of the high pressure nozzles 42, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and 4. The nozzles 44 in the head 34 are controlled by the same valve 43 which controls the high pressure nozzle 42 therein, while a special valve 46 controls the low pressure nozzles in the head 35. The nozzles 44 in the head 34 are fed from branch passages 47 which lead from the high pressure buckets near the periphery of the disks 28-29-29 at a point immediately in the rear of the plates 37, while the nozzles 45 in the head 35 are supplied'from branch passages 53 which similarly lead from the high pressure buckets of the rings 28-29-29 at a point immediately to the rear of the plates 37 in the said head 35. The rear ends of these plates 37 are oblique to the peripheries of the rings and to the radial sides of the buckets as shown, so that the fluid is deflected by them out of the buckets into the passages 47. At their forward ends the nozzles 44 and 45 are in communication with the periphery of the low pressure rings 30-30 and are arranged to deliver motive fluid to the ends of the buckets therein. The head 35 is also provided with other passages 48-48 which afford communication between the low pressure buckets at the periphery of the rings 29-29, 30-30, 31-31, over the plates 37 from points i1nmediately to the rear thereof to points immediately in advance thereof. The forward ends of these passages wherein they again deliver the motive lluid to the low pressure buckets are preferably of expanding nozzle form. The head 36 is provided with branch passages 49 corresponding generally with the branch passages 47 in the head 34, the said passages being designed to receive motive fluid from the high pressure buckets at a point to the rear of the plates 37 in the head 36 and to deliver the motive fluid to the low pressure buckets at a point slightly to the rear of that at which high pressure fluid is admitted to the high pressure buckets through the head 36.

Immediately in advance of the head 36 t-he engine is provided with an exhaust passage 50 which is in open communication with the low pressure buckets in the rings 29-29, 30--30, 3l-3l, but is closed to the high pressure buckets in the rings 28 and 29-29.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Motive fluidis admitted through all three of the nozzles 4l in the heads 34 3536 simultaneously, but for convenience of description I will first describe the action of the motive fluid which enters the high pressure nozzle in the head 34, and then after ward in order, the action of the steam which enters the high pressure nozzles in the heads 35 and 36. Motive fluidin entering the high pressure nozzle 41 in the head 34 passes through the nozzle 42 directly to the ends of the high pressure buckets in the rings 28- 29-29, entering and filling up the buckets as they pass beneath the said nozzle. Being delivered at an angle the motive fluid will impinge against the forward walls of the buckets whereby a certain portion of the energy of the motive fluid will be imparted to the impelling wheel to rotate the same in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2.

Referring now particularly to Fig. l0 the motive fluid will pass from the buckets in the ring 28 through the oblique openings 38 in the plates 37, which are slightly wider on the outside of the plates to allow for some expansion of the fluid2 and will be directed toward the forward walls of the buckets in the adjacent surfaces of the rings 29. This will produce a further impulse upon the irnpelling wheel as will be well understood. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. l0 the motive fluid will pass thence through the lateral recesses 39 in the plates 37 to the buckets in the rings 29 in advance of those in line with the lateral openings 38, the shape of the recesses being such as to again direct the motive lluid upon the forward walls of the buckets, upon which it now acts eXpansively, and thereafter the motive fluid will pass in front of the sharpened edges 40 of the plates 37 to the buckets in advance of the said plates, through the corrugated passages which are formed on account of the fact that the buckets on adjacent faces of the rings 28 and 29 are staggered. Referring now to Fig. 1l, it will be seen that as the impelling wheel advances a certain portion of the motive fluid will pass through the recesses 39 upon the sides of the plates 37 adjacent to the ring 28 and'so will be deflected toward the front walls of the advanced buckets in the said ring 28 and on through the corrugated passages between ring 28 and the other ring 29, in the same manner as was just described. Between the relative positions shown in Figs. 10 and 1l there is an intermediate position in which the outlet passages for the fluid are nearly or quite closed. This is because of the fact that the nozzle 42 overlaps the openings 38 but does not extend to the recesses 39. This construction affords high torque at starting and in running at low speeds.

After the motive fluid has entirely passed the plates 37 in the head 34 it will travel with the impelling wheel but at a speed greater than the speed of the impelling wheel, and by its successive engagement with the forward walls of the several buckets, will impart still further energy thereto. The buckets in the adjacent rings are, it will be noted, arranged in staggered relation to each other so that a zig-zag passage is provided for the motive fluid such as will tend to produce the greatest efliciency of the motive fluid as it passes around the engine. When the motive fluid reaches the head 35 it will be deflected by the rear edges of the plates 37 into the low pressure passage 35, passing along the branches thereof to the low pressure nozzles 45, to the low pressure buckets in the rings 30. At these points it will be distributed by the forward ends of the low pressure plates 37 in the head 35 to the buckets in rings 3l and the low pressure buckets in rings 29 in the same manner as was just described in connection with the high pressure plates in the head 34. There being two sets, however, of the plates and two sets of low pressure buckets, each of which is of a capacity equal to the said high pressure buckets and plates previously described, the motive fluid will be permitted to expand to twice its previous volume where? by the expansive force of the motive fluid may be used, as is common in compound engines. The motive fluid will now pass along through the low pressure portion of the impelling wheel until it reaches the exhaust passage 50 through which it will be discharged. It may be noted that the low pressure plates 37h-37b in the head 36 will not prevent the free passage of the motive fluid to exhaust because of the fact. they are not of sufficient length to do so, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 8 and the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Now considering the passage of the high pressure motive fluid which enters through the head 35. This motive fluid passes through the high pressure nozzle 42 in the said head, thence to the high pressure buckets, being distributed by the high pressure plates 37 therein in the same manner as was described in connection with the admission of high pressure motive fluid through the head 34; thence the motive fluid will pass through the high pressure portion of the impelling wheel to the passage 49 in the head 36, thence through the branch portions of the said passage (see Fig. 5), thence to the low pressure buckets of the impelling wheel, and thence almost immediatel-y to exhaust. It may be noted that while the motive fluid from the high pressure portion of the wheel at this point enters the low pressure portion of the wheel it is not distributed therein through plates 37 because there are no plates at this point corresponding to the plates 37 in the other heads, the only low pressure plates being the low pressure plates 37a and 37b which are arranged in advance of this point for confining the motive fluid to its proper point.

The motive fluid which enters the high pressure nozzle 42 in the head 36 passes into the high pressure buckets in the impelling wheel, being distributed therein through high pressure plates 37 in the same manner as was described in connection with the' high pressure motive fluid in the head 34, thence through the impelling wheel to the passage 47 in the head 34 and through the branches thereof to the low pressure nozzles 44. thence being distributed by the low pressure plates 37 in the head 34 through the low pressure portion of the impelling wheel to the head 35, thence through the cross-over passages 48 back to the low pressure portion of the impelling wheel in advance of the head 45, and thence past the head 3G to the exhaust 50.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the motive fluid is fully compounded through two stages from the heads 36 and 34, while the motive fluid from the head 35 is exhausted through the low pressure side of the wheel and a part of its energy is used expansively though not to such an extent as it is from the other heads. As a result of the foregoing, however, l am enabled to employ but a single exhaust for an engine having three high pressure points of admission and by this means I have avoided much loss otherwise liable to occur through leakage, etc., as is the case where three separate and independent exhausts are employed. As this question of loss of leakage is one of great importance in engines of this descripw tion, I have provided special means for preventing leakage between the periphery of the impelling wheel members and the casing as follows: I have provided two stationary rings 515l suitably secured to the casing body 20 within the bore 23 thereof and surrounding the rings 29-29. The inner faces of these rings are stepped as are the corresponding peripheral faces of the said rings 29-29 as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. In order now for the motive fluid to pass directly from the high pressure to the low pressure buckets over the edges of the rings 29-29, it will be necessary for them to pass a succession of surfaces and a succession of shoulders, each of which will act to oppose such passage.

To prevent the lateral escape of motive fluid from the low pressure portion of the impelling wheel I have provided stationary rings 52-52 conveniently secured to the e-nd heads 21 of the casing and arranged for coaction with the outer faces of the rings 31. These rings may conveniently be adjustable so that wear may be compensated for.

That I claim is:

1. In an engine of the type described, the combination with a casing having a cylindrical bore, of an impelling wheel mounted in the said bore provided with a plurality of parallel rings forming high pressure elements and low pressure elements at either side of the high pressure elements, the said engine having means for admitting motive fiuid to the high pressure elements at a plurality of points around the impelling wheel, cross-over passages for conveying the exhaust motive fluid outward from the high pressure elements, in advance of each of the points at which the motive fluid is admitted thereto, to t-he low pressure ele-ments of the said impelling wheel, and a single exhaustpassage for receiving the exhaust motive fluid from the said low pressure impelling,

wheel elements.

2. In an engine of the type described, the combination with a casing having a cylindrical bore, of an impelling wheel therein mounted in the said bore and provided with high pressure rings and low pressure rings, and headswhich divide the high and low pressure portions of the said impelling wheel into three chambers each respectively, the said engine having means for admitting motive fluid to the high pressure rings simultaneously in each of the three chambers, cross-over passages for conveying exhaust motive fiuid from two of the high pressure chambers to the corresponding two low pressure chambers in advance thereof, a transfer passage for conveying the exhaust motive fluid from the rear of the two said low pressure chambers to the said chamber immediately in advance thereof, and a sin gle exhaust passage for receiving the exhaust motive fluid from the latter of the two said low pressure chambers and from the low pressure portion of t-he impelling wheel in proximity to the third low pressure chamber.

3. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two rings whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to the said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, of a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, and a plate secured to the said casing and projecting within and closing a part of said channel, the said plate having a transverse oblique opening therethrough, and the said engine being provided with means for admitting motive fluid directly to the buckets in one of the said rings, the said opening through the plate being arranged to constitute a passage through which the motive fluid will pass in one direction from the buckets in the one of the said rings to the buckets in the other said ring, and beyond said plate through said annular channel, the back of said plate being arranged to defiectthe motive fluid outward.

4l. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two disks whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, of a casing in which said impelling wheel is mounted, and a plate secured to the said casing and projecting within said channel, the said plate having an oblique transverse opening therethrough and the said engine being provided with a tangential peripheral nozzle for admitting motive fluid directly to the ends of the buckets in one of the said rings, the said oblique opening through the plate being arranged to constitute a passage through which the motive fluid will pass from the buckets in the one of the said rings, to the buckets in the other said ring.

5. In an engine of the type described, the

combination with an impelling' wheel including two disks whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous-to the said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, of a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, a plate secured to the said casing and projecting within the said channel, the said plate having a transverse opening therethrough and recesses in advance/of the said opening upon both sides of the said plate, and the said engine being provided with means for admitting motive fluid directly to the buckets in one of the said rings, the said opening through the plate being arranged to constitute a pasasge through which the motive fluid will pass from the buckets in the ring to which it is directly admitted as aforesaid, to the buckets in the other said ring.

6. In an engine ofthe type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two disks whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to the said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, of a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, and a plate secured to the said casing' and projecting within the said channel, the said plate having an oblique opening therethrough and curved recesses in advance of the said opening upon either side of the said plate, and the said engine being provided with a tangential nozzle for admitting motive fluid directly to the buckets in ico one of the said rings, the said motive fluid being arranged to pass thence through the opening in the said plate, to the buckets in the other said ring.

7. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two disks Whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to the said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, the bucket forming recesses in one of the disks being arranged in staggered relation with respect to the bucket forming recesses in the other said disk, whereby the said annular channel in its inclusion of the spaces containing the said buckets forms a tortuous passage for mot-ive fluid, of a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, and a plate secured to the said casing and projecting within the said channel, the said plate having a transverse opening therethrough, and the said engine being provided with means for admitting motive Huid directly to the buckets in one of the said rings, the said opening through the plate being arranged to constitute a passage through which the motive fluid will pass from the buckets in the one of the said rings to the buckets in the other said ring.

8. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two disks whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, the bucket forming recess in one of the disks being arranged in staggered relation with respect to the bucket forming recesses in the other said disk, whereby the said annular channel in its inclusion of the spaces containing the said buckets form a tortuous passage for motive fluid, of a casing in which said impelling wheel is mounted, and a plate secured to said casing and projecting within said channel, the said plate having an oblique transverse -opening therethrough and the said engine being provided with a tangential peripheral nozzle for admitting motive fluid directly to the ends of the buckets in one of the said rings, the said oblique opening through the plate being arranged to constitute a passage through which the motive fluid will pass from the bucket-s in the one of the said rings, to the buckets in the other said ring.

9. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two disks whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to the said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, the bucket forming recesses in one of the disks being arranged in staggered relation with respect to the bucket forming recess in the other said. disk, whereby the said annular channel in its inclusion of the spaces containing the said buckets forms a tortuous passage for motive fluid, of a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, a plate secured to the said casing and projecting within the said channel, the said plate having a transverse opening therethrough and recesses in advance of the said opening upon both sides of the said plate, and the said engine being provided with means for admitting motive fluid directly to the buckets in one of the said rings, the said opening through the plate being arranged to constitute a passage through which the motive fluid will pass from the buckets in the ring to which it is direct-ly admitted as aforesaid, to the buckets in the other said ring.

10. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two disks whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to the said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, the bucket forming recesses in one of the disks being arranged in staggered relation with respect to the bucket forming recesses in the other said disk, whereby the said annular channel in its inclusion of the spaces containing the said buckets forms a tortuous passage for motive fluid, of a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, and a plate secured to the said casing and projecting within the said channel, the said plate having an oblique opening therethrough and curved recesses in advance of the said opening upon either side of the said plate, and the said engine being provided with a tangential nozzle for admitting motive fluid directly to the buckets in one of the said rings, the said motive fluid being arranged to pass thence through the opening in the said plate, to the buckets in the other said ring.

11. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel having high pressure elements and low pressure elements arranged side by side, and a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, of a stationary ring secured within the said casing and adapted to engage the peripheral face of a portion of the impelling wheel, the interior face of the said stationary ring and the peripheral face of a portion of the impelling wheel co-acting therewith being correspondingly stepped to form a plurality of cylindrical co-engaging faces having different radii.

l2. In an engine of the type described, the combination with an impelling wheel including two disks whose adjacent faces are recessed to form buckets and are spaced apart contiguous to the said bucket forming recesses to form an annular channel, of a casing in which the said impelling wheel is mounted, a plate securedto the said caslplate overlapping the transverse opening irg and projecting Within the said channel, therein but not reaching to said recesses. Y

t e said )late havin@ a transverse opening therethroligli and recbesses in advance of the EMIL ANDERSON said opening upon both sides of the said Vitnesses:

plate,'tl1e said engine being provided With D. HOWARD HAYWARD,

a tangential peripheral nozzle above said LYMAN S. ANDREWS, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

